Nature, Culture, Geography, Travel & Adventure

Monthly Archives: May 2010

For me, Adventure & Landscape photography often go hand-in-hand, as seen in my post back in 2008 on Mt. McKinley in Alaska. But really, Adventure Photography and Landscape Photography take two different sets of skills, some physically and others technically and both of these are addressed in two new books recently released by two people I look up to and consider friends and colleagues, Rob Sheppard and Michael Clark.

Rob Sheppard is the Editor at Large of Outdoor Photographer magazine and author of over 30 books on photography. He has been a great mentor and friend to me as my own career has developed and I’m excited to share his latest book, the Magic Of Digital Landscape Photography from Lark Photography Books. As an avid landscape photographer myself, I often get many questions from people who feel intimidated by photographing large scenes. They aren’t sure how to fill a frame or how to capture the moment just the right way. Rob’s new book manages to explain it in such clear terms that any aspiring photographer will be able to grasp the concept and after a couple days with the book, begin their own journey into stunning, magical landscapes.
Pick up your copy today by clicking the cover below.

If photographing an extreme adventure is more up your alley, you must check out Michael Clark’s new book, Adventure Photography, also from Lark Books. Michael is an internationally published outdoor photographer that you may recognize from the Nikon Ads. He’s one of the smartest, talented guys out there and if you want to know how to light that mountain biker in Moab, get awesome frames while rock climbing or just heading deep into the back country on a journey, this book I highly recommend.

Join award-winning conservation photographer and author Ian Shive at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City, CA, on Thursday, June 3, 2010, 6:30 p.m., where he will present an archive of images that examine how our natural world interacts and is connected with the planet’s most valuable but increasingly threatened resource, fresh water, which constitutes 2.5 percent of the 70 percent of all water that covers Earth.

Ian’s photographs will trace the path that Arctic glaciers follow as they transform into rivers on the tundra, give witness to one of the world’s largest collections of terraced waterfalls in Eastern Europe two decades after the Bosnian Conflict of the 90s, as well as exploring the spiritually curative waters of the Ganges in the lower Himalayan Mountains and more.

Ian is the recent recipient of the Gold Medal, 2010 Nautilus Book Award, in the Great Peacekeepers category in recognition of his top-selling book The National Parks: Our American Landscape, released in August 2009 on Earth Aware Editions, for promoting “spiritual growth, conscious living and positive social change…and offering the reader “new possibilities” for a better life and world, joining previous Nautilus Award winners including Deepak Chopra, M.D., Eckhart Tolle, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, among others.

Referred to as the leading chronicler of America’s National Parks today and a self-labeled “wilderness diplomat,” Ian and his book The National Parks: Our American Landscape were the focus of a presentation on the challenges facing America’s most beloved landscapes in Washington, D.C. in November 2009, hosted by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Max Baucus.

Shive has dedicated his life to not only creating memorable photographs but also championing environmental awareness. Using photography as his primary tool, he has pioneered trends with new technologies to further the art of story telling through imagery. His photographs have appeared around the world in every major outdoor publication including National Geographic, National Geographic Adventure, National Geographic Traveler, National Geographic Explorer, Outside Magazine, Sierra Magazine, The Nature Conservancy, National Parks Magazine, andPopular Science, as well as numerous other major publications.

Ian Shive is proud to announce that he is one of the contributing bloggers to the newly launched Outdoor Photographer magazine blog. Ian will be contributing not only his own blog entries from around the world, but also OP exclusive entries. Be sure to visit and check out all the other great contributors who are taking part in this exciting new endeavor.

I believe that we all feel a vibe, a resonation, with certain places in this world. I’ve heard surfers describe the feeling they get from being in saltwater as electrical, literally. They explain it as the electricity in our bodies producing a charge when dropped in a big bath of salt water like the ocean, a natural conductor. For me, living in the state of California often gives me that same charge. I’m not originally from this state but have been a resident for nearly 13 years, spending most of it exploring this magnificent stretch of land where mountains fade into sea, deserts succumb to fields of wildflowers and the oldest, tallest trees in the world reach for some of the clearest skies in our country. It’s a place where a photographer doesn’t need words to do the job of explanation. Of all of these places, one of my favorites is in Central California on a private ranch where great wine is harvested and horses ride in open fields. I was fortunate enough to spend a few days this week snapping some images that I felt most represented the almost cinematic backdrop that this great state offers.

While on the streets of Hardiwar, India a couple weeks ago, me and my travel partner encountered one of our first real street hustlers. A kid not older than 13 worked us hard to make cash. We were taking photos of many of the people with no consequence but this kid recognized an opportunity to make some money. I donated 20 rupees to his hustling-cause, but after three frames, he wanted another 20 rupees. I showed him that I overexposed by accident getting bad shots on 2 of the 3 frames to which he was quick with a reply, “Yes but your friend got two shots. 20 rupees if you want more.” He was a ball of energy, moving fast, yelling and working me and the crowd for anything he could make. After watching the film, Slumdog Millionaire, I had a lot of preconceived notions of India, including fears of being constantly hustled. After a week there spending the majority of my time in a crowd of 16 million people, I rarely felt hustled if at all other than this one moment. The people of India were incredibly generous, rich in spirit, and full of pride and culture. Some Indians find the term Slumdog insulting but it’s a term we are all now familiar with thanks to Hollywood (Bollywood?) and one I wanted to share some new insight on.

I am pleased to announce that my new book, The National Parks: Our American Landscape, won Gold Place at the 2010 Nautilus Book Awards for Great Peacemakers. The Nautilus Award recognizes Books and Audio Books that promote spiritual growth, conscious living & positive social change, while at the same time they stimulate the “imagination” and offer the reader “new possibilities” for a better life and a better world. I am humbled to be in the company of such great past award recipients as Deepak Chopra, M.D., Barbara Kingsolver, Thich Nhat Hanh, Eckhart Tolle, Mariel Hemingway and the Dalai Lama. It is my hope that America’s wild lands and national treasures continue to open new channels for conservation worldwide.